Beginner’s Experience with Chalk Paint

Good morning to you all. As I sit here in the office typing, the wind is continuously raging outside. I just heard the second crash this weekend and it was a small decorative table I had on the porch holding a lantern, down it goes. I so look forward to Spring and Summer each year, but with the warmer temperatures, comes furious weather patterns. I really don’t ever get used to it, and the older I get the less tolerance I seem to have. Oh well, nothing I can do about it, I know, but I just can’t wait to get outside and get my hands dirty planting flowers.

I love decorating and redecorating spaces, but I decided to take decorating a step further and step out of my comfort zone. After consulting with one of my favorite gurus, Pam Dodd, I ordered a quart of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint in Pure White. I am not much of a reader, but I knew I should do a little research. By the way, I am slowly painting my world white. My love for a neutral palate isn’t anything new. The first sofa I ever purchased on my own was cream and the first sofa and love seat we purchased after getting married was white. The paint on the walls was a light taupe and our carpet is a white burbur. After starting our family, I quickly realized in order to relax and let kids be kids, I began adding color to the walls and furniture and was happy in that state for several years, and now I am returning to my first love, in case you were wondering.

What is Chalk Paint?

Chalk Paint® is Annie Sloan paint. Annie Sloan developed her now famous decorative paint, Chalk Paint®, in 1990. Back then, there was no paint available with the properties Annie was looking for, so she decided to develop her own. She came to choose the name “Chalk Paint” because it was suggestive of its very matte—almost chalky—finish.

Chalk Paint® is different. It is not simply paint with chalk added to it. It is not chalkboard paint. It is not made by adding plaster of Paris or grout or even baking soda to an existing paint. Chalk Paint® is the unique decorative paint Annie Sloan developed for furniture, floors and walls, drawing on a lifetime of research and experience in working with paint and colour. Chalk Paint® adheres to most surfaces and creates gorgeous results quickly and easily. Use it for a textured finish, a distressed finish, a smooth contemporary finish or even as a wash.

It requires virtually zero sanding or priming!

The above statement caught my attention immediately. Right then and there, my dread turned to excitement. The first piece I painted was my cedar chest. It was handed down to me from my late Aunt Edda and had yellowed over the years.

So, after I painted the first coat I was a little concerned with how much you could see the brush strokes. The paint is thick, so it didn’t glide on very smoothly. After going back to the computer and reading a little more, I was reassured that the first coat will look streaky. Pam also told me to add a small amount of water to thin it, and it would glide on better.

One thing’s for sure, it dries super fast. The second coat went on much better. I could really see how the finished piece was going to look. I knew I wanted to distress it but I was terrified!! I did not want to mess up, so I barely sanded the edges of this piece.

Since my first experience went pretty well, I decided why not go ahead and just dive into a bigger project. My parents have been storing a buffet of mine for years. After we redecorated the office, I found that I finally had a space for it. This was going to take a little more preparation as there were a few spots that needed repairing before I could begin painting.

This really shows the brush strokes after a first coat. I told myself I wasn’t going to be afraid to put a little more elbow grease into distressing this piece, and funny enough, once you start it’s hard to quit!

I had fun picking out new door and drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby.

So of course I shared my excitement with my family, and my sister was kind in her compliments. So kind, that she actually asked me to paint some lamps she had. She and I decided that Old White would compliment the shades quite well, and I am happy to report the lamps came out pretty good 🙂 .

This next photo shows the Old White paint color well.

I haven’t stopped painting. I actually painted an old bookcase this past weekend and I want to paint some more furniture in the office. If you haven’t braved painting with Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint, let me encourage you to just dive right in. Don’t be intimidated. I haven’t mastered waxing yet. The beautiful finish that comes with waxing these pieces takes a little more practice. I am visiting my gal pal, Pam this coming week for some pointers. Can’t wait to share some knowledge and just maybe a few of her pieces that will be on her upcoming Born in the Barn sale, May 28th! Have you saved the date yet?

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I’m Martha, welcome to my blog! I am a wife and a mother to 3 beautiful daughters. Making our home pretty is one of my favorite hobbies and I get so inspired by changes and events that happen in every day life. Simple and cozy is a must around our house; I want family and friends to feel right at home. My roots are farm grown, so I love adding sweet charm from my parents’ homestead, sharing hearty recipes, and simple diy tutorials. So please, stay awhile, browse a bit, and let me know what inspires you!